Scanning Around With Gene: A Trip to the Western Auto Store

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A Saturday trip to the local Western Auto store was a common occurrence in my childhood. While Dad dealt with someone behind the counter trying to secure a specific car part, we kids would peruse the merchandise in the front of the store. There were bicycles, camping gear, audio equipment, and even electric guitars and firearms. It was quite a mix of merchandise—part variety store and part catalog showroom.
At its peak, Western Auto had more than 1,200 company-owned stores and more than 4,000 “affiliate” stores (private franchise locations). Like Radio Shack, Western Auto could be found in almost every town, and in southern California where I grew up, in almost every neighborhood. Today’s images are all from Western Auto advertising flyers printed between 1960 and 1963. Click on any image for larger version.


Western Auto began in 1909 in Kansas City, founded by George Pepperdine, who would later found Pepperdine University. The company began as a mail-order auto parts business and opened its first retail store in 1921.


As one of the first retailers to license its name and merchandise distribution to individual dealers, Western Auto pioneered the concept of the franchise store. This allowed the company to expand rapidly and into smaller towns that might not makes sense for a company-owned outlet.



Western Auto was famous for its house brands, which included TrueTone electronic equipment; Wizard tools and outboard motors; Citation appliances; Davis tires; and many others. The company also sold a line of firearms under the Revelation brand name.



Western Auto sold a lot of bicycles and bicycle accessories. My first bike was a Western Flyer.


Back in the early 1960s some standards, like those for child safety seats, weren’t quite what they are today. For 98 cents you could buy a “secure” seat for baby, or for just a little more a harness to leash your youngster to the seat.


My family had several seat covers from Western Auto, including a set of clear plastic ones for our 1959 Cadillac. Were seat covers more common back then?



Western Auto fell on hard times shortly after these ads appeared, and the chain was eventually sold to Sears, which then sold it to another auto-parts chain.


By 2006 the Western Auto brand was officially dead, though a few dealer-owned stores around the country still use the name. The Western Auto headquarters building in Kansas City, Missouri, is now condominiums.



But I won’t ever forget the Western Auto store on Valley Boulevard in Alhambra, California, where I grew up. I don’t know if I spent any time in a Western Auto child car seat, but if I did, I somehow survived.
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Gene Gable has spent a lifetime in publishing, editing and the graphic arts and is currently a technology consultant and writer. He has spoken at events around the world and has written extensively on graphic design, intellectual-property rights, and publishing production in books and for magazines such as Print, U&lc, ID, Macworld, Graphic Exchange, AGI, and The Seybold Report. Gene's interest in graphic design history and letterpress printing resulted in his popular columns "Heavy Metal Madness" and "Scanning Around with Gene" here on CreativePro.com.
  • Anonymous says:

    I’ve never been to (or heard of, for that matter) the Western Auto brand. But I truly enjoyed looking at these advertisements. Very inspirational stuff! Thanks!

  • Anonymous says:

    We had a similar store in our city called Pep Boys, Manny, Moe and Jack. 3 cartoon guys that looked a little like the Marx Brothers to me. Not sure how widespread geographically their company was. But they sold lots of stuff including the car parts, they also did repairs for you using their branded parts. I turned an old discarded 20 inch kids bicycle into a “Stingray” bike with high handlebars and a banana seat (as well as a few other accessories like handle grips and mirror and light) from Pep Boys. It was my pride and joy for years. They are still around and apparently going strong. I see TV commercials for them on Philadelphia stations.

  • Anonymous says:

    Truetone radios–yeah baby! Just this year, I still saw an old Western Auto storefront on Pioneer Bl., Santa Fe Springs, CA. I took a photo and then they dismantled the sign.
    C.Romero

  • Anonymous says:

    I worked at the HO of WA for 21 years in the advertising dept. I had the honor to work with some of the artists that use to draw the products for the ads and the touch-up artists that retouched the b/w photos. Have a bevy of flyers and catalogs from back in the day. Works of art.

  • Anonymous says:

    I am “of the age” to have visited Western auto with my parents and to remember ads like this. I particularly got a chuckle out of the child seats and restraints. My how things have changed!

  • Anonymous says:

    It seems to me that differentiating the old and new flyers is not difficult task. I saw in the post that the old flyers loook less attractive and appealing in comparison with the new modern flyers. For modern and attractive flyers, I have tried several printing services for my business of clothes and jeans in order to market and advertise, so I think that this flyer printing service will be suitable.
    And I want to says that the images that you have placed in the blog, where nice. I enjoyed seeing them. How amazing still they are!

  • haley Mooney says:

    Florala Alabama had one. Thats one mile from the Florida line.

  • Elaina Bishop says:

    I remember these ad’s and I am in my late 50’s we had a local store that my dad head of the house shopped at, from time to time. We couldn’t afford much then and I still can’t afford much now. I loved looking at the adds and placing myself inside them. You know back when life was more relaxed and simple. I just lately found out their was still a Western Auto store open somewhere. Nice to see your adds

  • Ronald Simone says:

    I owned and operated a western auto associate in Raymond NH from 1975–1995. I was there when Beneficial finance sold it to the company mgt.team & wesray (William E Simon). We went from a retailer of almost everything to primarily auto parts and accessories the company added a charge card (total charge ) the company took on a ton of credit card debt . The parent company Western Auto Supply Co., did a number on most of the privately owned associate stores. It became a text book case of how not to run a company. I got out before the bottom fell out.

  • I grew up in Ramona California,it’s in San Diego. our store even had a soda fountain in it.

  • Jim Towle says:

    Remember them well from growing up in the 50’s and 60’s in RI – they carried everything for the auto!!!
    Lost track of them when I moved out of state.

    • Keith Campbell says:

      I remember growing up in Flat River Missouri and going to the Western Auto for just about everything you need. Loved it during Christmas time. I had a 1959 TrueTone guitar from Western Auto. Sold for 24.95 back then. Worth about 400.00 today. Great Memories.

  • George says:

    My dad owned and operated a WA Associate Store in Lake Elsinore in the middle 60’s. I started working there as a 10 year old for the whopping amount of 30 cents an hour. Whatever I earned went toward WA merchandise I wanted – baseball glove, water skis and fishing tackle. The Christmas tree usually had WA items under it for us kids. I specifically remember the Aurora slot card and race track I received and the Western Flyer Tractor and Wagon my younger brother got. It was a happy time and memory.

    Today – I have quite a few WA items in my man cave including a 16’ long dealer sign, dealer clock, dealer ring from 1937 as well as several steel trucks by Marx, Structo and Tonka among others.

    I wish there was more resources and recorded history available – such as photos, store locations and a roster of dealers.

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